Look through my eyes

Chapter 32

A white flag flies from the gun, confetti flying through the air.

I stand up, screaming, my arms raised. My laughter fills the room, my body is so free.

Finally, it's all over—all of it, all of it, all of it.

The clock is gone, the pressure in my chest is gone.

And all the money in the world couldn't buy what's in front of me.

My father, whose skin is so pale, seems to disappear, his gaze lost in the confetti that fills his carpet.

Confusion, surprise, anger—it's a fucking work of art.

The sound of the front doors echo, footsteps fill the corridors.

"What...what have you done?" His words are more than whispers to us—a mere noise before my laughter.

"Wave to the cameras!" A half dozen red lights flash across the office, as if acknowledging his call. Each one gives a perfect angle on the famous governor.

The recording of his words echoes from speakers hidden around the room.

The projector on one wall lights up, revealing images, videos, reports, and text messages. All the information gathered from years and years of illegal acts became public property the instant the trigger of the gun was pulled.

My laughter stops when his gaze is on the white wall, where the images continue to travel from different computers throughout the city, sending and sending even though his team tries to stop them.

"How...?" I approach him, just in range where the cameras won't notice more than my back.

The big black sweater covered my dress.

"Mmm, maybe I'm a little smarter than you thought, or maybe the simplest glides are the ones that work best." I shrug. "The result would have been the same. Your future is just as dark." I grin at him.

And as a final act, a small miscalculation, but still perfect on camera, still working.

Elijah lunges at me, his hands blocking the air from passing down my throat.

I start punching his arms, fighting for air.

His face is red with anger, the veins in his arms popping, struggling with all his ways to break my neck.

The office door opens, letting in a dozen armed police, several of them rushing toward the governor, making him release his grip.

The policemen hold the governor on the floor while he starts shouting threats.

One of the policemen approaches me. I cough from the air intake, still complaining about the pain in my neck. The policeman grabs my arm, pulling me away.

I try to catch my breath, walking as fast as I can, keeping pace with the cop who doesn't let go of my grip.

We reach the back door.

The cop in front of me removes his hood, revealing dark eyes.

"You did well." I smile, still unable to speak because of the pain in my throat. "They're waiting for you; go get checked out." he points to my throat before closing the door in my face.

I run into the woods, breathing hard, with a stuck thank you and an urge to go back inside, just to see the face of the guy pretending to be a cop, but I'm sure he's the guy who has managed to hack all the newscasts in the town.

Maybe now that it's all over, maybe we could go to lunch and talk.

I laugh at the ridiculousness, almost sighing with relief as I see the familiar figure in front of my car.